Follow Us

You are here

Home | Press Releases | Defenders Fights Legal Challenge of Red Wolf Program in North Carolina

Defenders Fights Legal Challenge of Red Wolf Program in North Carolina

(10/27/1999) - Defenders of Wildlife today announced that it will fight the
latest legal maneuvering attempting to lessen protection for endangered red
wolves in North Carolina. Just one week after North Carolinians showed
overwhelming support for red wolves by celebrating Wolf Awareness Week, two
landowners and two North Carolina counties will file an appeal Thursday in
Richmond seeking to overturn a December 1998 federal court ruling that ensured
protections for red wolves on private property. Defenders will contest this new
appeal, set to be heard in the 4th District Court in Virginia.

“The opposition against red wolf recovery in North Carolina
has been small but incredibly vocal," said Rodger Schlickeisen, President of
Defenders of Wildlife. “They’ve had this case in court for years, and they just
refuse to see that not only is it legal to revive the red wolf population in
North Carolina, it is our moral duty to do so."

The red wolf, a smaller and more slender cousin of the timber
wolf, originally roamed throughout the eastern United States as far north as
Pennsylvania and as far west as central Texas. The red wolf was shot, trapped,
poisoned, and clubbed to death until 1967 when the federal government declared
it an endangered species. In 1975, in an effort to prevent the red wolf’s
demise, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service captured all remaining wild red
wolves, which numbered fewer than 20, and began to breed them successfully in
captivity.

Reintroduction of the species began in 1987, when captive
animals were released into Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in northeast
North Carolina, with later releases into nearby Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife
Refuge. More than 100 red wolves have since been born in the wild, and a stable
population of about 60 adults has been established in eastern North Carolina.

“Most of the people who live in North Carolina are as
pleased as I am in knowing that these wolves are back where they belong and that
they will continue to add diversity to the ecosystem," said Schlickeisen.
Studies demonstrate the majority of North Carolina residents support red wolf
recovery.

“The plaintiff’s lawsuit is a threat not just to red wolves,
but also to the entire Endangered Species Act program", said Michael Senatore,
wildlife counsel for Defenders of Wildlife. “The 1998 ruling clearly reaffirmed
the authority of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve our nation’s
endangered species and it bolstered ongoing efforts to restore wolves in other
parts of the country. This latest appeal is something we anticipated, and it’s
something we are prepared to fight."

In addition to creating a more diverse ecosystem, the wolves
have the potential to generate millions of tourist dollars for the eastern North
Carolina region. “People love the wolves. They are exquisite, mysterious
creatures that belong on this land," said Schlickeisen. “The people accept these
wolves, the land in North Carolina accepts these wolves, and so does the law."

Coexistence is the order of the day in Oregon, thanks to months of discussions among Defenders of Wildlife, Oregon wildlife officials, the governor’s office and the ranching community. A livestock compensation and wolf coexistence bill unanimously passed the state House and Senate and was signed into law by Gov. John Kitzhaber in August.